I wouldn't know about too Turkish, but it's so handsome as a combination. How sad. Bardiya is rather cool, though. Other than the historical connection, does it have a particular name meaning? The Bard part of the name seems to suit Caspian's arty side well.

@handsallover Better late than never! Thanks for the support, as I find myself sometimes second guessing this decision (quite uncharacteristic). Now just to see about the gender...
@pacifica I know! :P DH approved Emre at first, but then went back on it. I think he wanted to make sure at least one of the names was commonly used in Iran. By the way, I love Evren from your list, a good Turkish name (Cyrus also... Persian, that is). The short answer about Bardiya is that it means "prince", which is kind of cool... and I was hoping to call him Bard (like you suggested ). More importantly, it's one of the few names DH really loves (this is what happens when you marry an engineer... he thinks spending so much time on naming is unnecessary). The long answer is that it also has to do with politics and history. After the Arab Conquest of Iran, many were forced to convert from Zoroastrianism to Islam. Others were not forced to convert, but Zoroastrians were given a very low status. Muslims were also given political and economic benefits, with money even being distributed in mosques. As part of the Arabicization of Iran, Persians normally took Arabic names (names of imams and such). The old naming ceremony included the family and the imam choosing names and placing them in a Qur'an, after which a name was randomly chosen. Of course, the imams generally only allowed Arabic names to be selected. So actually Persian names were limited to those in remote areas of the countryside and the surviving Zoroastrian community. Much of the culture was lost, and there wasn't really any impetus towards a Persian national identity. The Shah attempted to bring it back a bit, but it was quite short lived. Among DH's generation, most people still have Arabic names, with a few Persian used. Unfortunately, many of the Persian names from ancient Persian history (like Xerxes/ Khashayar, Cyrus/ Koroush, and Darius/ Dariyush) were routinely used for bad guys in films. As the government is Islamic, they frown on Arabic names (especially the names of Islamic heroes) being used for bad guys. The interesting thing is that many in the current generation have intentionally sought to give their children ancient Persian names as a sign of Persian identity and pride. This often includes people resurrecting names that have not been widely used for a long time. It's also common for them to choose a name that other people might not have even heard, but is actually Persian. So, Bardiya is also meaningful as it is a Persian name with a significant link to history that has not been tarnished in modern Iranian culture. Moreover, it's more about how DH (and many of his generation) are taking pride in the legacy of their ancestors, and longing to build a future worthy of that past. Sorry for that very long answer...

INTJ Anthropologist Living in the centre of China, married to a Persian, and just enjoying a completely unpredictable life

Evren and Cyrus are so so handsome to me. I am adoring both right now. Love the foreign feel to them and the nicknames I can get out of them - Cy & Ren.

No, I appreciate the long answer. I'm actually a history nut, so this all is interesting to hear. I never knew about it before, but I can see why your husband is so keen on the Turkish names. Kind of reminds me of traditional Irish names coming back into popularity in Ireland versus more Anglicized names. All history aside though, I like the meaning behind picking a name of his heritage, and luckily, there are many handsome ones to choose from. I always thought Xerxes sounded very cool, but you're right, I have seen it used for a villain, which is off-putting to a degree.